Join us in St. Paul Minnesota this spring! We are pulling out all the stops for a fabulous annual meeting for the NCSF. The annual meeting is an opportunity for our Coalition Partners to send their representatives and help set NCSF policy, review and approve the budget and elect the board. There is no better way to get involved with the NCSF, and our have the voice of your organization represented. This important meeting is a great opportunity to really sink your teeth into the work NCSF is doing and that our CP groups are supporting and directing! NCSF has limited scholarships available to help facilitate the attendence of active Coalition Partner representatives to the meeting.

Other than some very exciting work, what awaits you in Minnesota? Good food (meat eaters - you want to try the Packer Stacker) and most meals under $10 each at the hotel restaurant and bar.

Have you heard of Minnesota Hospitality? Come experience it! Anyone flying in will be driven from the airport to the hotel, saving guests from an expensive cab ride. Minnesotan's are a friendly bunch, aiming to make your stay comfortable. There will be a private hospitality room on-site with above average snack/sandwich items for individuals on a really tight budget and those who need specialty stuff. (Gluten Free diet? Let us know!)

Bring your long johns if your worried about the cold, but it's been an unusually warm year so far, it might even be swimsuit weather by March! Come prepared for lots of possibilities.

Here's the hotel information, book your room now! To book, please call the hotel directly and give our Group Code: "NCSF GROUP" to qualify for the generous rate of only $89 a night. (If you don't let them know, you will not receive the discount.)

Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, 701 Concord St. South South St. Paul, MN 55075

651-455-3600

Minnesota Stocks Debentures & Bonds has been working hard to make this a meeting to remember. Join us!

Curious about what's going on in the world and what the NCSF pays particular attention to? You can check out our Blog anytime you'd like, it's always live at the NCSF website. We also send out regular Media Updates right to your inbox, to help you stay on top of things.Here's a link (or find it below) if you haven't already signed up.

Sharing is caring! You can forward our newsletters, media updates and press releases to your friends by clicking the link at the bottom of our mailings. Keep in the know with the NCSF.

As you may know, there was some drama this year surrounding the Spanksgiving event in St. Louis. Spanksgiving is not an unusual type of event. It covers BDSM education and socializing and generally provides a place for people to come and get together as a part of the BDSM community. This is not unlike any number of events held nationwide every year. Such events are one of the main ways in which those of us in the BDSM world catch up with our friends and learn from each other. The problems that Spanksgiving experienced were not chance. There was a specific group of people in local government who chose to try to stop this immoral "sex convention". NCSF was there to help stop these conservatives from ruining the event.

Back in March 2011, Tommy (last name withheld for confidentiality reasons) one of the employees at the host hotel broke his confidentiality agreement during the Beat Me in St. Louis event also run by STL3. He tweeted about the convention categorizing it as disgusting and nasty. He also called his uncle, well-known "upstanding member of the community" Gil Klein, one of three aldermen (local government officials) who had jurisdiction over Fairview Heights, the area where the event is located. The hotel subsequently fired Tommy for breaking their confidentiality agreement.

Gil Klein, the city alderman, attempted to get into the Beat Me in St. Louis convention to see what was going on but could not. He used the presence of the convention to create negative ads about the Mayor "allowing" there to be a local sex convention. In the time between that Beat Me in St. Louis and Spanksgiving 2011, two of the three local aldermen were voted out of office. The one remaining alderman who had not been up for election was Sandy Baldwin. Sandy Baldwin made it clear that she believed that Spanksgiving should pay a fee and be required to get a permit for their event because of the type or organization it is, even though the legislation in question was not used to require permits for other local events. She notes that both Girl Scouts and STL3 are non-profits, but she states, "I think there's a difference between a Girl Scout cookie and a sexual toy paraphernalia" She specifically chose to single out this event because of her biases.

On the Wednesday before Spanksgiving 2011, the local government informed the organizer of Spanksgiving, Jsin, that they would be charging the vendors a special fee and requiring a permit. Now, there have been many similar events with vendors held at the same hotel, which had not had to pay this same fee to local government, and had not been required to get these kind of permits. When Jsin did finally go into the office to meet with them about completing the permit it was clear that nobody had ever issued this kind of permit before and it took more than one draft.

In the meantime, the media got involved. A scathing commentary on the CBS website talked about how the Spanksgiving organizers had not followed through with the correct procedures and were unlawfully going forward with their event.

Here is where NCSF stepped in. The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom worked with the event organizers to make sure that all of the media attention was handled well. Susan Wright held interviews with the media and explained to them the injustices that were taking place in this case. Jsin reports that NCSF was there with him along the way to help him know what questions to ask and what to do to make sure the issues got resolved. Jsin was clear to all of the government officials involved that he was only trying to do what was required to get the permit and comply with all local and state laws. As a result he was able to get the permits and hold the event with no fines or other legal problems.

Now this is by no means the only event that has had this kind of problem. Conservatives all over the country would love to put a stop to "sex expos" like Spanksgiving. They think that BDSM is "against God's plan" and all other sorts of nonsense. They would like us to keep our activities well underground. This not only tears apart the BDSM community by isolating us from each other, but also prevents people from learning the basics of BDSM including learning about safety and consent. All of this just shows how important it is that we have NCSF there to help us advocate for ourselves in this kind of situation. Without the NCSF and the groups that support it, our community would have no way to work together to fight off these kinds of attacks.

The day of my flight out to St. Louis, I received an urgent message from the NCSF board chair, letting me know that Susan Wright wouldn't be able to attend, so I should be ready to represent the NCSF board and be on hand for the staff and producers of the event, and ready to step forward if need be. Fortunately, most of what I had packed was suits, slacks and dress shirts, so I didn't need to modify the contents of my luggage to accommodate a potential media storm. Leigha (Fleming) made sure that Jsin and I had each other's information, and I spent time in the airport reading up on the articles, and comments posted underneath them, that had been all over the media in the St. Louis area so I'd be informed and ready to work upon arrival.

Once I arrived in the hotel and dropped off my luggage in my room, I made it a point to introduce myself to the staff and volunteers. I eventually met Jsin face to face, and was pleased to find out the new developments were positive- they had secured the necessary permits and were moving ahead without any new problems. Throughout the weekend I stayed in touch, and enjoyed myself. Classes went well, and with every check in, I was reassured that not only had the work that Susan (Wright) and Jsin done this year been very effective, what they had learned at previous events and the history of work the NCSF had already done with the STL3 team was effective in making Spanksgiving a low-drama event. On Saturday, Jsin let me know that the police had already come and gone, and it was completely uneventful.

I never had to step in and handle anything as a member of the NCSF board, and the reason is this- the work had already been done. STL3 and the NCSF have been close partners for enough time that they knew what to do. They knew how to handle the authorities and Susan (and Jsin) had already handled the questions. The attendees of Spanksgiving were able to enjoy themselves without incident, and there were no protesters, no breach of confidence, no one being "outed" and we were all free to have a lovely time.

It is the work that the NCSF does every day that makes our community a safer, freer place to live. The big events get the most attention, but the teaching, training and knowledge that is shared every day is what makes the biggest difference. I am proud to report that my services as an official representative of the NCSF were not needed at Spanksgiving this year, and I want to thank everyone who consitsantly contributes to the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom for helping us make our world a safer, saner and significantly more fun place to live.

Since 1971, The Eulenspiegel Society (TES for short) has promoted sexual liberation for all adults, particularly those who enjoy consensual BDSM or whose sexuality embraces dominant/submissive fantasies and urges. A much fuller explanation of our purpose is our Creed, which can be found, among other places, online at http://www.tes.org/main/about.php

2) What inspired your participation with the NCSF?

TES goes way back with the NCSF, and the full story would take up more space than we have here. We were one of the founding member organizations; the term "Coalition Partner" had not yet been coined. TES members were already accustomed to working with other groups, albeit on a local level. Some of the more activist leatherfolk in NYC, accustomed to working together on Leather Pride Night, started meeting informally to share ideas about other projects. This became the New York SM Activists (NYSMA), the crucible from which emerged, among other projects, the initiatives which became Leather Leadership Conference and the NCSF.

NCSF's purpose, as originally expressed, defending sexual freedom and privacy rights for adults engaging in safe, sane and consensual behavior, was and is fully compatible with the purposes stated in the Eulenspiegel Creed, so when Susan Wright presented the idea of NCSF to us, we of course signed on.

The broadening of that mission over the years to take in the swing and poly communities has not changed our commitment; after all, some of our kinky leather folk are poly or into swinging as well.

3) What's your favorite way to do your NCSF fund raising?

In recent years we've raised funds for NCSF at our annual event, mainly at the Celebrity Auction, where we sell a scene, a lesson or simply time with those presenters who have chosen to go the extra mile and contribute that much more of themselves ... which is most of them, since they know it's for NCSF! At the last couple of events, we've also turned our Top/Bottom Auction and our Kinky Casino into fundraising opportunities as well. We have some very talented members who are good at, ahem, flogging NCSF to our attendees and persuading them to give just that little bit more.

The Eulenspiegel Society is the oldest BDSM support group in the United States. You can check out their calendar, browse their resources, and learn more about the group at www.tes.org. Learn more about their annual event, TES Fest, at www.tesfest.org. TES also continues to be one of the sponsoring organizations for Leather Pride Night NYC (leatherpridenight.org).

I've been involved in community activism since 1989, starting off in the women's rights ocmmunity, specifically working for greater Boston NOW. One of the first things I did was spend every Saturday morning, helping to create a human barrier to allow women who had appointments at clinics to go in safely and without ridicule or torment. After 6 years working on my feminism, I moved over to my true passion of Sm and applied what I had learned to the kinky community.

2) What specialties do you bring to the board?

I am a numbers person by nature, so I bring my love of finance and budgeting. But my two decades of organizing and becoming an adult has also brought out my skills in leadership, volunteer management and organizational development. I love working as a team to come up with the big picture then help implement the idea or project through its establishment.

3) What inspired you to become involved in NCSF? (What does the NCSF mission mean to you?)

In 2001 I had already been involved in my local community for about 6 years and I wanted to help on a national level. NCSF had been around for a bit but it didn't have the organizational structure or base of support it has now. I joined on what was then the Executive Committee and soon became Chair. About a year into my term, we re-aligned NCSF into a working Board executing and reporting to the Coalition Partners it's policy and strategic vision. I truly believe that in order to adjust this country's landscape of perception and discrimination, our community must take a multi-prong approach. Local groups must create awareness and educate locally and NCSF handles the umbrella role of national policy.

4) Anything else you'd like to add?

Discovering that one's passion is activism is truly amazing. Having the courage to specifically work on sexual freedom ... well there's a special place in the universe for all of us. I often say that even though I don't have kids, I still want the world to be a better place for them, in every way possible. Each and every one us and our future generations need to be able to express whatever sexuality we have without fear of persecution. What NCSF does, what each local community group does, what we all do and believe in our heart helps......every single day.

You can email your board member Vivienne at
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.

March is known for "March Madness" in Minnesota. It's a time of high school sports championships and interesting weather. Not to worry, we will keep you warm and safe from the snow! Join us for the Coalition Partner Meeting the third weekend of March in 2012 in Minneapolis, MN. We are already putting together a series of people ready to scoop you up at the airport and deposit you at the hotel!

The annual meeting is an opportunity for our Coalition Partners to send their representatives and help set NCSF policy, review and approve the budget and elect the board. NCSF has limited scholarships available to help facilitate the attendence of active Coalition Partner representatives to the meeting.

Consent Counts: Report & Looking to the Future

by the NCSF Board

Eighteen months ago NCSF kicked off a new program called Consent Counts. The program is a direct outgrowth of the direction of the more than fifty Coalition Partners who vote for the NCSF board, approve the budget and set the policies and programs of NCSF. In conjunction with NCSF's efforts to help remove SM from the DSM manual that classifies mental illness, the criminal prosecution of consensual BDSM is a real issue that the NCSF sees every day. NCSF's Consent Counts program is a long-term effort to both challenge and change those laws.

Consent Counts began primarily as a legal program. In the last year the NCSF has done a tremendous amount of work with people outside of SM community, along with SM related legal and legislative work. The effort to change the impact of California SB 430 is an example of that work.

The next step in the Legal part of the Consent Counts program is the development of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) classes for attorneys around the issues of consent in criminal law. The NCSF will be joining the Kody Brown/Sister Wives case by providing an Amicus, or friend of the court brief, in support of the decriminalization of consensual adult polygamy. By the end of the 1st quarter next year, NCSF will have an indexed list state by state available on the website citing relevant appellate or case law around consensual BDSM and providing the ability to search out laws in all 50 states that criminalize BDSM.

Our coalition has given more than fifty workshops around the country on the legal realities of consent in the law in the last year.

One of the things we have learned is that the legal work alone isn't enough. There has been an exponential growth in the numbers of requests NCSF has received for help related to consent issues in the last year. So, in an effort to be responsive to our constituencies we began to develop a guide for both victims of consent violations and those accused of consent violations. The two-part guide will have a section for victims who have had their consent violated and give them some tools for looking at what their options are (police, civil, outreach assistance, how to report, what to say etc.) Additionally, it will have another section for those who have had an accusation leveled against them (legal, criminal, civil, etc. The board anticipates having the guide available for public distribution at the beginning of next year.

Finally, the expansion of the Consent Counts program will include the publication of a community discussion guide that groups, workshop leaders, presenters, and events around the community can use to begin, develop, and turn into NCSF, the outcomes, of discussions around the issue of consent, what it means in their communities etc. To be very clear- the NCSF does not intend to develop some kind of unilateral statement regarding consent. The whole point of the of the Community Discussion Guide on Consent is to foster the discussion nationwide - leading to a policy summit at NCSF's next annual meeting in Minneapolis, led by Coalition Partners and finally to the development and creation of a statement about consent created at the Leather Leadership Conference (LLC)XIII in Seattle in 2013.

Consent Counts: Words from Our Board Chair

by Leigha Fleming

I believe- from the volume of requests and comments NCSF has had over the last 12-18 months that SSC- safe sane and consensual is a model that doesn't work for us as a community anymore. We've outgrown it the way a child outgrows the training wheels on his bike. There IS brand equity in SSC. It's still useful. We've done anamazing job over the last 25 years educating people outside out community about BDSM. SSC- due in no small part to the work of activists in our community has entered the modern lexicon -- CSI episodes, "consenting adults", safewords, and news stories that reference SSC. WE- the SM community- did that. But it's also become not much more than sloganeering... and it's not enough for us anymore.

We've been discussing these attitudes and growing the Consent Counts program dictated by our CPs who have said this is the most important work we can be doing.

I'm asking all of you to join the discussion - on Fetlife, in notices at SM events, in your local groups and on NCSF's website. As we distribute the Community Discussion Guide at the beginning of next year, ask an NCSF rep to come to your group, take the guide to your own groups and events and munches and launch a discussion. Send us your feedback. This isn't going to be easy. But the issues surrounding consent are significant- and unless we address them, we will fail in our mission.

For the people who say - you know what, I'm not responsible for some idiot who thinks consent given once never needs to be given again. I would say- you're right; that is, if you're sitting on the sidelines. If you stand up as an activist, as an educator, or leader in our varied communities- you are responsible. You signed up to be responsible and to educate intelligently and ethically when you stood up to be an activist, educator or leader.

If we can't change the social discourse around consent and BDSM, we can never change the political or legislative discourse. We can do this and I believe with deep conviction- that this is the most important issue facing our community today - both as we try to gain a more nuanced view of what consent is for ourselves and our partners and as we work with the outside world to change their perceptions about us and to change the laws that affect so many of us every single day.

Coalition Corner: Siege Works

1) What is the mission of your group?

It is to the primary goal of The Siege to create within the rich and vibrant gay and BDSM/Fetish Communities of Nashville, a reoccurring, sex forward, intense, & energetic, mens play party to serve the whole mid-south region. Attendees travel from as a far as two hundred miles away. We do not have a formal membership, rather we are a loose network who stay in touch through an email list and our own web forum. We host our parties at The Mark in Nashville, quarterly, in the past we have done so bi-monthly. Our second function, spreading information about BDSM play in a fun, sexy, face-to-face environment and provide a space for interaction between individuals who identify primarily with the BDSM community and individuals who identify primarily with the gay community. Though I've not had the opportunity yet, I would like bring our event to other regions to encourage the proliferation of real time face to face gay mens BDSM/Fetish culture.

2) What inspired your participation with the NCSF?

As sexual minorities living in the bible belt, the need for legal action to push back against those who wish to repress our liberties is omnipresent. The NCSF is the only organization with such a focus, and thus far we've been impressed with what they have accomplished and the network of support they provide.

3) What's your favorite way to do your NCSF fund raising?

Throw a wild party and divide the proceeds between our host organization and the NCSF.

For more information, find them on Twitter as SiegeWorks, on their site at sites.google.com/site/thesiegenashville, on Facebook under "Siege Works" and you can contact them via email by messaging
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Meet Your Board! Returning Member- Mercury

1) Do you have a history of activism and community involvement?

I have served the Middle Tennessee BDSM/Fetish/Kink community for over six years as the Executive Director of CPI, the 501(c)(7) non-profit corporation that runs The Mark in Nashville. During this time, we have hosted over 600 events in our "community center" and have been financially self-sustaining since we opened our doors.

I have been a regional presenter even longer than that, presenting an eclectic mix of subjects ranging from D/s Decorum and BDSM 101, to Team Topping and Physics of S/M Play -- hoping that I can give back more than I extract from the people I meet!

Additionally, I work with local university sexuality professors and certified sex therapists providing understanding opportunities offering lectures, discussion, literature, and facility tours to better educate them in regards to BDSM and polyamory.

So, yeah, I have been around and involved, helping strengthen our community as I can.

2) What specialties do you bring to the board?

In addition to my volunteer role as a dungeon-keeper, I have worked in corporate sales and marketing for years, worked as a program/project manager, and owned my own design firm; yet my biggest asset to the Board may be my location in the Southeast, where I can help the NCSF grow its presence and value in, perhaps, an under-involved region.

3) What inspired you to become involved in NCSF? (What does the NCSF mission mean to you?)

Once I became increasingly recognized as being in a position of local leadership, more people would approach me with issues that they needed help to resolve. Inevitably my research would lead me to the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, who were the only people offering a sincerely sympathetic ear and real informed guidance.

It wasn't long before I came to realize that a key component to making my local/regional community more secure was to help make the NCSF safety net stronger. The best way I knew to do that was to step up and offer myself to the cause.

4) Anything else you'd like to add?

I would like to thank all of the people back home who work hard for their community and make me look good in the process! You folks are the best -- giving as you can to make life better for us all.

You can email your board member Mercury at
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.

Keep that Independence Day Spirit and become a freedom fighter by joining NCSF!

NCSF is having a membership drive until July 31st!

NCSF is there when you need help, and now NCSF needs you. Join NCSF to keep our important programs alive:

Our Media Outreach program gives media interviews on alt sex, and produces the Media Updates, helps events work with press and media when asked, and responds to negative characterizations about BDSM, swing and poly in the media.

Consent Counts is working to change assault laws and decriminalize BDSM and educate our own communities about consent.

The Educational Outreach Program presents informative presentations around the country on everything from zoning issues for SM groups to child custody and divorce issues.

The Kink Aware Professionals list is free referral list for doctors, mental health professionals, and more. Incident Response and Reporting program worked with more than 600 people and organizations in 2010 and helps protect events from attacks.

NCSF's Incident Reporting & Response provides assistance to individuals and groups within the BDSM, swinging and poly communities who are experiencing discrimination or need assistance because of their interests and activities. In addition to providingassistance, the program collects confidential and anonymous reports of discrimination, abuse, etc. against members of the alt.sex communities. This information is critical in helping demonstrate the level of discrimination and violence members of alt.sex communities experience continually.

Minnesota proudly welcomes the NCSF for their annual Coalition Partner meeting March 16 - 18, 2012! The gang in MN has secured a hotel in a south St. Paul suburb with great rates, great space, hot breakfast, and we are planning a few surprises -- good surprises. Stay tuned for more details -- and start saving your pennies for an affordable meeting in a location that often has great airfare deals.

Meet Your Board!

New Member- Julian Wolf

1) Do you have a history of activism and community involvement?

Yes, my parents instilled a sense of responsibility to my community at an early age, so it was a natural transition once I became an adult. I came out of several closets in 1999 and volunteered at my first Leather event. It's been a slippery slope from there; I've spent all but a few months since 2002 serving on various boards throughout the queer and BDSM communities.

2) What specialties do you bring to the board?

Primarily, I'm a wordsmith. I've been writing in formal and informal capacities since grade school and while I'm not degreed I do seem to be able to beat words into informative submission. Additionally, I'm "blessed" with having a vocation where I'm on one computer or another for several hours every day, so I'm able to do things such as Media Updates and newsletters with some ease.

3) What inspired you to become involved in NCSF?

Sex Positive legislation is incredibly important to me as a polyamorous, kinky person who thinks swinger's parties are pretty keen. Even if I was not personally involved in the communities that the NCSF supports, I would still feel strongly about fighting for our rights and the personal freedoms of adults.

Educator, wordsmith and performer Julian Wolf is an active participant in the alternative scene in the Southwest and beyond. You are invited to peruse www.JulianWolf.net for more details.

Update: Kinky is NOT a Diagnosis

By Susan Wright, NCSF Board Member

As the discussion around the proposed DSM-V criteria for the Paraphilias continues, a recently published article mentioned NCSF's work on behalf of sexual sadists, masochists, fetishists and transvestic fetishists. Author Michael B. First, MD, a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University and Department of Clinical Phenomenology at New York State Psychiatric Institute, notes these "nondisordered paraphilias" could be further destigmatized by listing them under the "Other Conditions That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention" chapter of DSM-5. Other Conditions functions as a repository for conditions that may be a focus of treatment but are not considered mental disorders, such as normal grief.

First adds, "Thus, the Paraphilic Disorders would be listed in the front, mental disorder, section of the DSM-5 (with associated F codes, indicating their status as mental disorders), whereas the nonpathological paraphilias, which may be encountered by a clinician in the context of a diagnostic evaluation but would not be a focus of treatment, would be listed in the back, nondisordered, section (with associated nonmental disorder problem codes from the Z section of ICD-10-CM)." The American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law

NCSF will continue to participate in the national discussion about the proposed DSM-V criteria until publication in 2013 through its DSM Revision Project: Kinky is NOT a Diagnosis.

Consent Counts Expands Educational Focus

By: Judy Guerin

NCSF Consent Counts project to decriminalize BDSM is continuing to expand its educational programs as a major focus for the next year. After extensive legal research in 2009 on the state of the law, which is not favorable to consensual BDSM activities, NCSF launched an educational and discussion program in August, 2010 for our community on the legal issues related to consent in BDSM activities. NCSF has conducted workshops on consent throughout the U.S. since that time and has gained important feedback and recommendations as a result. In March, 2011, the Consent Counts workshop was incorporated into our Education Outreach Program and staff training was conducted. NCSF is offering workshops on Consent Counts and the state of the law throughout the country and via Internet forums. 17 CC workshops have been done so far in 2011. 23 more are already scheduled. Please email
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if you would like to schedule a Consent Counts presentation or any of the more than 20 other Educational Outreach Program (EOP) workshops.

A major priority this year is development of a continuing legal education program for attorneys and law school outreach program, planned for launch in 2012, on consent and BDSM. Additionally, NCSF is developing talking points for presenters and others to emphasize the importance of prior and ongoing consent within our community. NCSF also plans educational outreach to the National Coalition of Anti-violence Programs and the National Police Association on consensual BDSM. We are encouraging local BDSM groups to do outreach to their local domestic violence programs and law enforcement and we have workshops available in our Education Outreach Program to help teach local groups ho to do this important work.

For more information on the Consent Counts project and the state of the law, visit our website.

Coalition Corner - New Mexico Leather League

By: Julian Wolf, NCSF Board Member

Meet the New Mexico Leather League

1) What is the mission of your group?

Since 2006 the primary purpose of the New Mexico Leather League is to provide a resource foundation for individuals and organizations within the leather/kink/fetish communities of New Mexico. As part of its mission, the League regularly produces BDSM events in Albuquerque. NMLL also works to co-sponsor and promote other events originating from within the leather/kink/fetish community-at-large.

2) What inspired your participation with the NCSF?

The mission of the NCSF and NMLL is very complimentary, so when some of our members told us about the NCSF after attending a regional conference where they attended workshops by NCSF members, we easily voted to join as Coalition Partners and are proud to increase our activities with the organization this year. (Our CP Rep attended the Annual Meeting and Judy came to Albuquerque and gave a presentation on Consent Counts.)

3) What's your favorite way to do your NCSF fund raising?

We've had great luck over the years with Top/Bottom auctions at events! We select an auctioneer and then they "sell" a scene (and/or an hour of training) with pre-selected people for one of the play parties at that event. It's a great opportunity for people to try new things while supporting a great cause. When done correctly, Top/Bottom Auctions can be entertaining for the crowd, fun for the winners and profitable for NCSF.

Media Updates - NCSF Media Updates are a sampling of recent stories printed in US newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant mention of BDSM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics. These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate or anywhere in between.

These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate b or anywhere in between. NCSF publishes
the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what media outlets are writing about these
topics. NCSF permits and encourages readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.

Community Standard or Double Standard?
New York Times

Mr. Lambert's context was different, mostly because he is gay and his song "For Your Entertainment" is
graphically sexual, with intimations of sadomasochism ...

The section on deviant desires, to take one example, is denounced by advocates for alternative sexuality
as stigmatizing those whose lusts, no matter how unusual, are harmless, or those whose erotic play, no
matter how unsettling, is consensual. Should a man with a foot fetish be branded as mentally ill? Should
a woman who finds ecstasy in being elaborately bound and enduring denigration or pain? Should such
people be labeled with psychiatric diseases, though the rest of their lives have no serious dysfunction?
Until 1973, homosexuality was among the D.S.M.'s disorders, and critics of the present chapter point to
the condemnation the volume once inflicted on gay men and lesbians' condemnation that both reflected
and bolstered the prevailing cultural perspective by way of arguing that the current manual, the
D.S.M.-IV, is full of unfounded and damaging sexual judgments. Many on the panel, which probably won't,
in the end, do much in the way of deleting conditions, maintain that the chapter on sexuality and gender
identity doesn't brand people too readily with disease. They note that, aside from exceptions like
patients with pedophilia, only those who are distressed meet the threshold for diagnosis. In turn, the
critics respond that such distress stems not from within the individual but from the infliction of
societal standards, from the culture's disapproval and aversion and therefore, in part, from the D.S.M.
itself. This, they emphasize, was why the A.P.A. finally removed a last remnant of the homosexuality
diagnosis what was known as "ego-dystonic" homosexuality in 1987.

National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF)

The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom is committed to creating a political, legal, and social
environment in the United States that advances the equal rights of consenting adults who practice forms
of alternative sexual and relationship expression. NCSF advances the rights and advocates for consenting
adults in the BDSM-Leather-Fetish, swing, and polyamory communities. We pursue our vision through direct
services, education, advocacy, and outreach in conjunction with our partner organizations to directly
benefit these communities.

These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate b or anywhere in between. NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.

"In Defense of Extreme Pornography" Reason Online Los Angeles, CA

Had Zicari and Romano stuck to just rape and murder, with some R-rated nudity to complement artful scenes of mutilation and dismemberment, as Hollywood does in movies like Hostel and House of 1000 Corpses, they couldbve avoided a lot of trouble. Likewise, had they focused on hardcore sex and kept the violence and puke out of it.

Unfortunately, Romano and Zicari had the audacity to mix genres of entertainment that, while permissible on their own, are apparently not allowed to be combined. And thus they managed to achieve what not even John Waters ever accomplished: They were sent to prison for having bad taste. ...

PITTSBURGH - A Pennsylvania couple is fighting to maintain a church they run from a Huntingdon Township home, which officials say is really a raunchy swingers club where single men have to pay for access but women come for free.

John and Kim Ondrik say they worship nature at the Church for Spiritual Humanism. But midnight mass at the Spiritual Palace is on hold as the Rev. John and his wife fight for a variance to continue practicing their religion in a residential area just outside of Pittsburgh.

Opponents of his church, including neighbors and North Huntingdon Township officials, say what's really behind those closed doors is a club called the "Swinger's Palace."

Township commissioner Richard Gray said it's been an open secret that a swingers club has operated out of the two-story house since the 1970s, but they finally have the evidence to shut it down.

Gray said the dispute is not about church or sex ? it's about having a business operating in a residentially zoned area.

"The mere fact that they were charging a mandatory fee to get in, in my opinion, would constitute a business," he said.

An attorney representing John Ondrik told FOX News that members in the private church give a donation and aren't charged to get inside the midnight masses, which typically take place on Friday and Saturday nights.

"You have a right to run a church in a residential area not because of your free exercise rights under the Constitution, but simply because churches are not primarily commercial," said Bruce Ledewitz, a law professor at Duquesne University.

Ledewitz said the Ondriks might have a case if they can convince authorities they're sincere about their religion and that they truly believe in their church.

But keeping the Palace open might be a tough sell. Its Web site, which was recently taken offline, showed that couples were charged an admission of $50 while single men had to pay $75. Single women could attend free of charge.

Self-described swinger "Dave" said he and his partner paid money to get into the club. "You didn't get in without paying money. If you didn't pay your money you were going back out the door."

According to doctors, people who engage in kinky sex are just plain nuts. Find out why --- and what's being done about it.

People who engage in adventurous sex are now being labeled with a "mental health illness," according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM. Yup, that's right, the official handbook of psychiatry has now added kinky sex to its list of mental disorders.

In other words, if you indulge in role-playing, enjoy the feel of hot candle wax, or use handcuffs (even the furry kind!) you're considered someone who has a "mental disorder characterized by a preference for or obsession with unusual sexual practices." The shame!

This isn't the first time the DSM has stirred controversy: Until 1974, homosexuality was listed as a mental disorder. And now engaging in "wild" sex which, for some people, that just means "normal," is a sign one has lost their marbles.

?A group called the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom has launched a petition to get "BDSM" (bondage, role-playing, punishment, discipline, and fetishes, just to name a few) out of the DSM. In fact, they published a paper on the topic here, and invite people to support their endeavor. They are also asking that APA to base its conclusions on science, not on the mainstream idea of what's considered "normal."

Why is this so important? If you meet the criteria for a DSM-approved disorder, it could affect you at the workplace -- and even in child custody agreements.

The cases will be heard Oct. 27. The original date was set for Monday.

At issue in the municipal court case is about a dozen citations issued to owners Julie M. Norris, 30, and Jim Trulock, 59, for running the swingers club out of their home. The city has targeted the home, which sits on a wooded residential lot on North Cedar Ridge Drive near Interstate 20, for operating a sexually oriented business without a license and in a residential neighborhood. City leaders and investigators maintain that the home is a business because patrons are asked for a donation to attend weekend and holiday parties.

Further complicating the case are the recent arrests of Mr. Trulock and Ms. Norris on suspicion of serving alcohol at an unregistered club. The Class A misdemeanor carries up to a one-year jail sentence or a fine up to $4,000.

Duncanville police arrested the co-owner of a swingers club known as the Cherry Pit on Wednesday.

The arrest of Julie M. Norris, 30, comes a day before a scheduled pretrial hearing in the case against the notorious Duncanville sex club. Mrs. Norris was charged with violating the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code for operating an unregistered club, a Class A misdemeanor. If convicted, she can serve up to one year in jail or a fine of up to $4,000.

The co-owner of the Cherry Pit, 59-year-old Jim Trulock, was arrested on the same charge earlier this month.

Duncanville city officials have said that the couple is illegally operating an unlicensed club in a residential neighborhood near Interstate 20 and North Cedar Ridge Drive. The City Council issued a ban in November on sexually oriented businesses, but police documents show parties continue at the home. City leaders say that patrons to the home are asked to donate money to get into the home where alcohol is served.

During a pair of July raids at the home, authorities confiscated large amounts of alcohol and "fun money" used to purchase sex acts.

A Manhattan S&M club that billed itself as the "Leading House of Domination in NYC" was put out of business Wednesday after the NYPD busted its manager and seized its business records.

The ladies at the Walker St. club, Rapture, all had "extensive and rigorous" training in the art of bondage, and customers of the Tribeca dungeon were whipped and poked by professionals, its advertising claimed.

"Each Domina is uniquely qualified to deliver the fantasy," the club's Web site boasted.

Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.

Net Obscenity Provisions Revocation Sought

December 19, 2001, Washington, DC -- A small civil liberties group has asked a federal judge in New York to revoke what remains of an Internet pornography law that was gutted by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1997.

In a complaint filed in a New York City Federal Court [http://www.USCourts.gov ] last week, the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom [https://ncsfreedom.org ] argued that the court should overturn the provisions of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) that prohibit Web sites from displaying obscene material online.

"Many people are unaware that one of the most powerful censorship provisions of the Communications Decency Act [http://EPIC.org/cda] is still in place. Even fewer realize the dangerous effect it could have in the hands of an overzealous administration and attorney general,"NCSF spokesperson Susan Wright said in a prepared statement. Passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996, the CDA drew a barrage of criticism from industry groups, publishers and civil-liberties advocates.

In addition to prohibiting online obscenity -- which was already illegal in physical form -- the law called for Web site operators to be held criminally responsible if they allowed children to view constitutionally protected "indecent" material online.

Only the most graphic pornography and sexually explicit material meets the legal standard for obscenity. Milder sexually explicit material -- nude photos, erotic stories and the like -- may be considered indecent. But such material is protected under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

A broad coalition of public interest groups -- including the American Library Association [http://www.ALA.org], the American Civil Liberties Union [ http://ACLU.org ] and the Center for Democracy and Technology [http://CDT.org ] challenged the indecency provisions of CDA, on grounds that it could crimp the rights of adults to view constitutionally protected speech online.

The groups convinced a lower court to freeze those provisions; that decision eventually was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

But the NCSF, which promotes sexual freedom and counts as members many operators of sexually explicit Web sites, maintains that the remaining online obscenity ban in CDA has a chilling effect on Web site operators who want to post sexually explicit materials.

The NCSF specifically argues that the "community standards" test in federal obscenity law is meaningless in global world of the Internet.

The obscenity ban in CDA is based on a decades-old obscenity standard that applies to printed materials, films and photos.

Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) Associate Director Alan Davidson, who was involved with the original CDA challenge said that the obscenity language in CDA was deliberately left out of the first challenge for that very reason. "The concept of prohibiting obscenity speech -- as controversial as it may be -- has been relatively well-settled law for many decades now," Davidson said. "The focus of the original challenge was on the area of greatest threat to free speech, which was the indecency provision."

Most of the original CDA challengers are now in the midst of fighting another law -- the Child Online Protection Act [ http://COPACommission.org ] -- which was passed by Congress shortly following the Supreme Court ruling in CDA. That law has been dubbed "CDA II" by its opponents. The Supreme Court heard arguments on that legislation last month.

DSM-V in the News

The DSM-5 Says Kink is OK! The American Psychiatric Association has depathologized kinky sex – including cross-dressing, fetishes, and BDSM – in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). Now the paraphilias are considered to be “unusual sexual interests,” while those who have sex with children or people who haven’t consented, or who deliberately cause harm to themselves or others, may be diagnosed with a…

Kinky is NOT a Diagnosis Help make history by signing the DSM Revision Petition now! The diagnoses in the DSM-IV-TR still subject people who practice BDSM, fetishes and cross-dressing to bias, discrimination and social sanctions without any scientific basis. We need 3,000 signatures, but we only have 2,200 now. If you don't speak up and call on the American Psychiatric Association to adhere to empirical research when revising the diagnoses…

Sweden takes sexual behaviors off their disease list November 25, 2008 - The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare is declassifying sexual behaviors as mental illnesses to avoid strengthening prejudice against the behaviors, the Swedish news service Tidningarnas Telegrambyra reported last week. The diagnoses which will soon disappear from the disease registry include sadomasochism, fetishism, fetishistic transvestitism, transvestitism, gender identity disorder in youth, and multiple disorders of sexual preferences. NCSF…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE National Coalition for Sexual Freedom Marching Forward: NCSF proactively advocates for sexual freedom November 19, 2008 - NCSF is proud to be the only group in the country with a national mission committed to changing the political, legal and social environment for those involved with the BDSM, swing and polyamory communities. The new board of NCSF was voted in at the annual Coalition Partner…

February 13, 2008 - The American Family News Network posted an inflammatory article condemning the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force for honoring Guy Baldwin with their Leather Leadership Award at the 20th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, on February 6-10, 2008 (www.thetaskforce.org). According to the February 7th article: Peter LaBarbera, executive director of Americans for Truth commented that he is not sure if he is more surprised…